Been on the road all day, and am currently blogging from an undisclosed location. Had a nice drive, warm enough to have the windows down, and it occurred to me that America’s interstate highway system should qualify as a Wonder of the World. Sure, other countries have highways, and yes, many countries (Germany comes to mind) have VERY nice highways, complete with banked turnsm etc. But for sheer mileage, nothing can compete with our roads.
Before you ask, Lily and Rosie are at Seth’s, and Tunch is home alone, probably shredding my couch as I write this. Had a good sushi dinner, now going to have a bottle of wine before knocking off for the night. You?
Dee Loralei
John, can you post LO’D’s show, the bit they did about the WeDo campaign in Asheville, NC? It made me cry.
Raven (formerly stuckinred)
Tried to watch the Magic Christian but my bride couldn’t get interested in Peter Sellers and Ringo engaged in class warfare!
JCT
Hah, we’re on the road as well. Just pulled up in Amarillo, TX with our trailer as the first stage of my move out west. Did 700 miles today – I agree with John re: our fine interstates.
Beer and steak time!
me
You hanging out with Dick Cheney? Look out if he has his shotgun.
JPL
@Dee Loralei: Do you have a link. It’s an open thread.
jeffreyw
Steak and steak fries and some roasted broccoli.
hilts
John,
I recently heard a good interview with Earl Swift discussing his book The Big Roads: The Untold Story of the Engineers, Visionaries, and Trailblazers Who Created the American Superhighways
wnyc.org/shows/lopate/2011/aug/09/building-americas-superhighways
Mike in NC
It certainly is. I had to drive from coast to coast a few times while on active duty. Officially known as the “Eisenhower National Defense Highway System” because Ike was a prominent supporter back in the ’50s. Today he’d be branded a pinko by Eric Cantor and the teabaggers who run the GOP.
Jenny
@Raven (formerly stuckinred): Try Peter Sellers and Goldie Hawn in “There’s a Girl in My Soup”. It’s “lovely”.
MikeJ
@JCT: From where to where?
I did DC->Seattle a few years back, went through Yellowstone, Badlands, saw Cheney’s Tower. A great trip.
SiubhanDuinne
@jeffreyw:
The hell?? No pictures?? Slacker.
bleh
Actually, the “Interstate and Defense Highway System,” a classic example of using a political meme (“the Commies are coming, gotta spend money on the military!”) to accomplish an only tenuously connected purpose (just how likely was it that we would need highways in Nebraska to defeat the Commies?)
It’s great that OWS is harnessing hatred of the bankers to try to accomplish something useful, and I think the Obama WH is finally warming to that idea too. But I wish they’d do more in that regard. Infrastructure spending to defeat the Chinese economic menace! Health care to defend the dollar against the evil Swiss Franc!
Sometimes I think the Vulcans are just too earnest for their own good…
Raven (formerly stuckinred)
@Jenny: Thx
DecidedFenceSitter
Stressful work week. Stressful baby.
At some point I will recall that I mix a whiskey sour that is more yellow than brown; but that day is not today.
SiubhanDuinne
My kid brother and sister are going to have their 66th birthday in a few days, and I’m thinking of working up a parody, or pastiche, of Route 66 (“Get your kicks/at age sixty-six!”)
Would welcome any lines or rhymes or suggestions. I haven’t even started, so everything is on the table.
Comrade Mary
What, “John Cole, International Man of Mystery” isn’t a good enough job title for you?
lamh34
It’s Friday…It’s 8pm…Time for Fringe.
I gotta work this weekend, but then I’m off for the whole week. I’m gonna get my car serviced, and either rent movies all week, stream netflix all week, or go to the matinee movie and see 4 movies that I’ve wanted to see but missed.
BTW, anyone have any good estimates on replacing a timing belt in at 2005 Hyundai Tuscon? I don’t want to go the the mechanic without at least some idea of a “reasonable” price.
JPL
@Comrade Mary: It would add some class if John extended his name. We have a Dougerhead and a Tom Pretentious Art Douche Levenson so a man of mystery would be fun.
tkogrumpy
Wooncha know the weekend I wanted to go to #occupy Boston, my Boston relations are coming up to visit me. Damn!
SiubhanDuinne
@DecidedFenceSitter:
I possibly missed, or have forgotten, a baby announcement. Details, please?
cathyx
Well, my laptop that I spilled wine on a few months ago and I though escaped damage is now showing signs of damage. I took it in and the diagnosis was a damaged hard drive that can’t be replaced. They can fix it for $800 and I can take it to a back up specialist who could maybe save my data, but it would cost me $300. I told them I can buy a new one for all that. I hope it holds out until January so I can write it off as a business expense for the following year.
Cat Lady
Nothing is better than a road trip. It’s my favorite thing to do bar none. I’ve seen wondrous things in the most random places. When the Democratic convention was in Boston in 2004 husband and I blew town and flew to Denver, rented a car and took two weeks poking through Colorado, Wyoming, Montana and Idaho, with absolutely no itinerary except to follow rivers and to camp where possible. Best.Time.Ever.
General Stuck
Me, soaking my wheels in Epson salt, from walking the dog every day over treacherous terrain. And ending up carrying him half the way. The sun is still pretty strong here, and he gets overheated easy, and tuckered out. Either that or I’m being played for a fool by the little rascal. Getting ready to watch Book of Eli again. Just can’t get enough of my man Denzel.
cathyx
@SiubhanDuinne: I have no idea. Like I said, from everything he’s written, I can’t even hazard a guess.
Cat Lady
@General Stuck:
Loved the ending. I was surprised.
Amir Khalid
@JPL:
Please, no. For some reason “John Cole, International Man of Mystery” makes me think of chunky spectacles and chest wigs.
General Stuck
@Cat Lady:
So was I.
suzanne
My husband and I drove the girls up to Flagstaff yesterday and went hiking. I had similar thoughts on the interstate, because the drive both directions was great.
It became obvious yesterday, though, how much we’re Balloon Juice nerds: I joked about how we should drop in on E.D. Kain, and my husband said, “Maybe next time. NAAAAH!” LOL.
In all seriousness, if I could get a job up there, I’d be out of Phoenix at light speed.
Off to get some Thai food. MMMM.
JPL
@Amir Khalid: How about
John, International Man of Mystery, Cole. Just separating his name adds allure.
Of course, it does nothing for the image though.
Svensker
@JPL:
The essence of Cole is that he is just John Cole. Extensions are just not right. Now if you could add a mop…
Comrade Mary
Oh, fine.
“John Cole, National Man in an Undisclosed Location”
“John Cole, Master Cleaner”
“John Cole, Minion to Lily”
“John Cole, Not Dead Yet”
“John Cole, Golden Blond Hair, Splendid Calves, and a Distinct Resemblance to Phillip Seymour Hoffman”
Amir Khalid
@General Stuck:
I saw that one at the theater. I remember a review which noted that its post-apocalyptic America has a weird climate: so hot that Mila Kunis wears a halter top, and at the same time so cold that Denzel wears an overcoat.
DecidedFenceSitter
@SiubhanDuinne: Well I don’t post often enough – first time father of a 5 month old baby girl – we did a home water birth. The home part was planned, the water birth was not. Since then we’ve mostly adapted to being parents for the most part. Wife is SAHM so that makes certain things easier, but makes me feel more guilty in other areas.
MonkeyBoy
I cut down my basil plants (they ain’t gonna grow no mo) and ground up all the good looking leaves with olive oil. I almost got an ice-cube tray full.
I also made a “proletariat pesto” with ingredients on hand – olive oil, garlic, peanut-butter, and sharp cheddar – served on elbow macaroni. It Worked surprisingly well with the cheaper ingredients and the fresh ground basil.
S. cerevisiae
Having a Full Sail IPA and take-out tacos de carnitas while watching the Bulldog/Gopher hockey game on TV. I hardly ever get a chance to see the Dogs during the season so this is a treat (or would be if UMD was ahead).
jeffreyw
@SiubhanDuinne: Sorry, was on the iPod. Here ya go.
Southern Beale
Oh, that was the first thing I was gonna ask.
General Stuck
@Amir Khalid:
Well yea. Denzel would look pretty silly in a halter top. Mila, not so much
Southern Beale
@MonkeyBoy:
Peanut butter and sharp cheddar? Together? Ewww.
Southern Beale
@Amir Khalid, @General Stuck:
I also thought it was weird that Mila uses an iPod (charged how?) and also feels safe walking down a highway filled with rapists and murderers with her earbuds in. I mean shit, I don’t even do that in my own neighborhood.
But for post-apocalyptic incongruity, nothing beats Waterworld. Where the world is completely covered with water, but everyone is filthy.
Dee Loralei
@JPL: I don’t know. Sorry I was otherwise occupied, or would have gotten back sooner. But the group doing it was the Southern something Campaign. But it’ll be up on MSNBC soonish.
Southern Beale
@Amir Khalid:
Speaking of chest wigs, have we all seen the bizarre story about Ron Paul’s eyebrow wigs? From the New York Times, no less.
Honus
Drove clear across West Virginia from the Ohio river through to Charlottesville Virginia on Rt 250 today. In the mountains the leaves were stunning. Clear blue sky. I haven’t tired of this drive in 40 years.
RossInDetroit
Today the President flew right over me. We heard the planes. At the time I was helping a 12 year old sort through a barrel of cafeteria garbage looking for his school ID.
It was a special moment.
jeffreyw
@Southern Beale: Peanut butter and sharp cheddar are fucking awesome on crackers. In pesto? Dunno…
Southern Beale
@jeffreyw:
I’ve eaten those orange cracker thingies with peanut butter in them but there’s no real cheddar cheese flavor to those crackers.
That’s just not a flavor profile that I’m going to explore.
RossInDetroit
@Southern Beale:
Yeah, we kicked that one around last night. I still think losing an eyebrow on live TV is the most interesting thing he’s done in a long time.
Southern Beale
@RossInDetroit:
I’m stunned the New York Times chose to cover this but not the obvious wire under Bush’s jacket during his debate with John Kerry.
PurpleGirl
Going to the NYS Sheep and Wool Festival tomorrow. Have to go to bed early, I’m taking an 8:15 A.M. Amtrak train to Rhinecliff. I still have to make a list of the wool I want to buy for a few projects. (I may not eat lunch for a few weeks but I’m going to enjoy looking at and feeling the yarn.)
RossInDetroit
@Southern Beale:
I thought we concluded he was Kevlar-ed up that time and the tailors just blew the fit of his jacket.
Anne Laurie
@Southern Beale:
Would it help if he called them “groundnuts”, karanga (Swahili) or (since Frenchification of cooking is traditional) arachides?
Of course purists will complain that American PB uses too much sweetner (usually HFCS) but then, HFCS is the second-most important ingredient in most American ‘spaghetti sauce’, too…
Dee Loralei
@Southern Beale: ABL wrote about that on her own site, LOL. She was kind. And kinda perplexed.
Southern Beale
@RossInDetroit:
No no. It was a wire. They interviewed the German guy who did it.
lamh34
Don’t know if there are any fans of Fringe out there, but tonight’s episode was awesome. I’ll admit, I squee-ed a little at the last 10 minutes.
Southern Beale
Oh no. Bill Maher is interviewing the preacher who said Mormonism is a cult. Another televangelist media whore steps up for his 15 minutes of fame.
Emerald
@bleh:
We needed the new highway system to move our missiles around. Even in Nebraska.
Seriously. That’s what Ike had to tell his own party to get them to vote for it. Ike himself had seen the autobahns in Germany and was impressed, and wanted that for America.
RossInDetroit
@Southern Beale:
Kewl! I’ll look that over. Waste of time, though, wiring him for sound. Did he ever listen to good advice even once? Maybe it was one of those dog collar things so they could shock him into shutting up.
ETA: OK that’s VERY funny!
Southern Beale
@Anne Laurie:
It’s not the peanut butter I mind, it’s the cheddar cheese.
Southern Beale
@RossInDetroit:
Blame the little guy, OF COURSE! Same as it ever was!
goblue72
Its 80 degree summertime temps in the Bay Area tonight. Gonna mix up some gin rickeys or Singapore slings, do some boozeblogging and catch up on Boardwalk Empire, Dexter and Bored to Death episodes.
arguingwithsignposts
John Fund and Some CNBC Hack are on with Thom Hartmann on Bill Maher. Drove me away from the channel. FTFBM
lamh34
I know everyone has OWS on the forefront, but just a reminder that the MLK Memorial Dedication happends Sunday. The President is the featured speaker.
I can honestly say that I’m not really sure if any of the major news channels will cover it, but the stations like TVONE and BET will have programming and I’m assuming so will CSPAN.
Anyway, here a little blurb to whet ur appetite:
First family visits new MLK memorial
Also, tomorrorw is the NAN “jobs march” in DC.
Southern Beale
Thank God Thom Hartmann is on Bill Maher to counteract the wingnut BS.
Amir Khalid
@Southern Beale:
I hope so, since ABL did put up a post about the NYT choosing to run that story. The news kind of creeped me out. I really did not need to learn that there was such a thing as an eyebrow wig.
Omnes Omnibus
I have to say I really missed the soon-to-be-ex-Mme Omnibus this evening. I had to wrap presents for my Mom’s 70th and my nephew’s 10 b-day party (combined event – their b-days are one day apart). I have the present wrapping ability of a troop of drunken baboons with broken thumbs while she was able to do Martha Stewart-esque things with a couple of pieces of paper and some ribbon. I don’t even know where the ribbon is. Anyway, things are wrapped and I think the baboon troop did okay.
SiubhanDuinne
@jeffreyw:
OMG. I just finished a big dinner and now I’m hungry again.
RossInDetroit
Hale Stewart at The Bonddad Blog (“I have a masters in domestic and international taxation from the Thomas Jefferson School of Law where I graduated Magna Cum Laude and am currently a doctoral candidate.”)
has a great post debunking the Right on taxes. This is almost FP worthy.
The “My God We’re Overtaxed” and “My God the Tax Code is Too Complicated” Canard
Southern Beale
@Amir Khalid:
I didn’t see ABL’s post but my post was also about New York Times’ colossal misunderstanding of what constitutes news. I expect that stuff from Gawker, but the Times?
SiubhanDuinne
@DecidedFenceSitter:
Well, belated congratulations. And, you know, if you ever felt like posting a photo, there are a whole lot of us who would be glad to break out in a chorus of “SQUEEEEE”s.
Cat Lady
@Omnes Omnibus:
It really is the thought that counts. Really.
chrome agnomen
tomorrow’s the 2nd anniversary of balloon boy.
the helicopter’s aren’t laughing !!!
RossInDetroit
@Southern Beale:
Well it was in the Fashion pages where by definition pretty much nothing is too absurd to cover. Though if there was a limit, a politician’s detached eyebrow would be close to it.
Omnes Omnibus
@Cat Lady: Mom knows me. The nephew is about to be a 10 year boy. I am not too worried.
arguingwithsignposts
@lamh34: just saw a spot flipping through channels. FOX News (I shit you not) is going to have “continuing coverage” tomorrow.
Omnes Omnibus
@chrome agnomen: How will we know without seeing their credenzas?
Lojasmo
Hanging out on vacation in San Francisco. My son met the guys from Foster the People last night. They were playing the Fillmore, and staying at our hotel.
I got lost trail running in Muir woods today, and a three mile run turned into an eight mile run. Need beer.
Omnes Omnibus
@Lojasmo: Get beer.
SiubhanDuinne
@chrome agnomen:
It seems like yesterday. I can count on a small number of fingers the times I have been literally (literally!) convulsed with laughter, all by myself, just sobbing in solitary hysteria. The Balloon Boy thread was one of those occasions.
PaulW
Western State College of Colorado didn’t hire me for their librarian job. Which is a damn shame, because they’re missing out on me referencing the sh-t out of their collection! Your loss, people!
lamh34
@arguingwithsignposts: yeah, if they have coverage tomorrow, it’s for the NAN jobs march. prob so that if the march is sparingly attended, Fox can somehow spin it as all Obama’s faulth, and if the march is heavily populated then Fox can spin it as a Rev Al race hustler causing a ruckus and use it to blame POTUS…for something?
Cat Lady
@SiubhanDuinne:
Somewhere out in the world Michael Gass is still trying to fax his credenza to John.
Omnes Omnibus
@Cat Lady: Does one fax or email credenzas? I forget.
Cat Lady
@Omnes Omnibus:
One faxes one’s credenza.
SiubhanDuinne
Fax, definitely. Please commit to memory for The Next Time.
Svensker
@SiubhanDuinne:
Ha! Me, too. And there’s no possible way to explain that to someone. It just makes no sense at all.
I still wonder about that guy. Was it DougJ do you think?
Omnes Omnibus
@Cat Lady: I need to get a fax machine.
Svensker
I’ve been busy and also too away, so not around much. Just read the ABL Ron Paul eyebrow thread and have been busting out into giggles ever since. Some of the comments are just priceless.
SiubhanDuinne
@Svensker:
Please don’t disillusion me by suggesting Michael Gass was a spoof. I’ve gone two years now in the blissful belief that he was the Real Deal.
‘smy story and I’m sticking to it.
Dee Loralei
@Amir Khalid: Dude, please do not ask anyone or google the words merkin or furkin. Trust me on this. Eyebrow wigs have nothing on these.
Cassidy
Got a job and it starts monday. Doesn’t pay much, but oh well. I just hope I don’t have to wait to long to get hired by federal law enforcement.
amk
See how immigrants bashing is reeeally helping amurikkka.
jeffreyw
I have a fax machine. It’s on a credenza in the front room. I am looking at it and giggling.
Dee Loralei
@Cassidy: Congrats , remember, it’s easier to get a job when you have a job. So your chances of being hired will exponentially increase as of Monday. Good on you!
Southern Beale
@Amir Khalid:
I am betting he owns a merkin too. Don’t want to know.
glong
Anybody else have a problem with Maher?
Last week he was totally dismissive of the OWS while joking with O’Rourke.
Grayson called O’Rourke on it but did not challenge Maher.
Maher was later quoted about how much he supported OWS.
IMHO, Maher is a total arrogant jerk. He steals from the blogs and then acts like he is “the man”. He really adds nothing to the conversation. He jokes about the millionaires without acknowledging that he is one.
Svensker
@Cassidy:
Yay you! Hope it leads to great stuff. Also, a regular paycheck is a good thing, be it ever so humble.
Cassidy
@Southern Beale: Merkin, lol
MikeJ
Holy shit! Heavy Metal is going to be on TCM at midnight! It’ll be just like I was 17 and hanging out watching Night Flight at Pam Yates’ house.
Cassidy
@Svensker: The only problem is I get to spend the next foreseeable months calling people and asking why they haven’t paid their bill. But a paycheck is a paycheck.
Southern Beale
@Cassidy:
I think we should revive that obsolete definition of malkin and pull a santorum Google fix.
Amir Khalid
@Dee Loralei:
You told me not to, so I did look them up. “Merkin” — um, I see what you mean. Googling “furkin” only turned up lots of people named Furkin and a common mispronunciation of, well, that word.
amk
@glong: maher campaigned for arianna, I-got-my-millions-so-screw-you-who-blogged-for-free-for-me-losers” huffington. ‘nuf said.
JCT
@MikeJ: That’s a great route you took, I love Wyoming and Montana.
I’m moving from NYC to Tucson for work. Going back West after 27 years in NYC, I’m starting to get excited about it! Only problem is that our old trailer is on it’s last legs after many years of family adventures. Blew through all 4 wheel bearings from Ohio to Indiana and the roof started to delaminate in Western OK. Just got to make it to Tucson…
@SiubhanDuinne: And here I spent a good part of today driving Route 66….
Linda
Excellent news from Ohio. The Ohio Supreme Court has unanimously voted that the redistricting plan–a plan that damn near redefines gerrymandering– may, in fact, be subject to a referendum in 2012, if there are enough petition votes. The Repubs had tried to prevent this by adding a provision to an appropriations bill that would prevent this–by OH law, any state law newly passed may be placed on the ballot (except appropriations) if there are enough petition signitures in 90 days from passing. But the SC said that the 90 day window is restarted by their decision:
cleveland.com/open/index.ssf/2011/10/ohio_supreme_court_orders_refe.html
Mouse Tolliver
Erin Burnett ran a Citibank infomercial on her new CNN show and called it journalism. She throws a softball to a Citibank exec (who works for her show), giving him an opportunity to explain why Citibank is better than Bank of America. Doesn’t look like she disclosed the fact that her fiance is also a Citibank exec.
Paddy
@Dee Loralei: I did here, Video As Seen On Last Word- The We Do Campaign: Asheville, NC. Sorry if it’s a dup, don’t have patience to dig thru thread.
amk
Spain’s ‘Indignants’ lead international protest day
SiubhanDuinne
@Southern Beale:
Can Hieronymous Merkin Ever Forget Mercy Humppe and Find True Happiness?
Paddy
@lamh34: DYING to see how they deal with the whole, “But I LOVE YOU!”, “WTF are you?” situation. And why wasn’t Lincoln it tonight’s ep? Hmmmm.
MikeJ
I wish I hadn’t looked on youtube for Night Flight stuff. Look at this promo for the upcoming season, 1985. They were going to show Andy Warhol’s Dracula and his Frankenstein, Rude Boy with the Clash, Medium Cool….
youtube.com/watch?v=9RXt7vKgim0
SiubhanDuinne
@JCT:
Fantastic! You’ve just won the opportunity to write a birthday greeting to my kid siblings!
TIA . . . .
Cassidy
Great mash-up. If you like punk and haven’t found Zebrahead, you should make a beeline for it.
MikeJ
@efgoldman: Here’s a website that says timing belt change by itself for that car averages around $900.
Not Sure
@bleh: The point was being able to move troops and materiel across the continent in a short period of time. Before World War II, George Patton led a convoy across the continent using the roads that were available back then, and it was quite an ordeal. At any rate, it wasn’t much use moving something by truck from California to the east coast if it absolutely needed to be in the European theater of operations in a timely manner. The Germans seem to have figured that bit of logistics out, and Ike was rather impressed by that. So the Interstate Highway System was born.
Omnes Omnibus
@Cassidy: Congrats on the job, but I am kinda meh on Zebrahead.
Omnes Omnibus
@efgoldman: Mom’s prezzie went into a gift bag. The kid’s got papered.
Cassidy
@Omnes Omnibus: Not for everyone, I’m sure. I spent my formative years listening to hardcore and ska. As I’ve gotten older I’ve gotten into more hip hop and really dig the rock/ punk hip hop together.
Omnes Omnibus
@Cassidy: Punk and hip hop should work well together in the right circumstances. the rap bit in Rancid’s Red Hot Moon, for exsmple, works quite well. Zebrahead just doesn’t really float my boat. I am not opposed and I would not be averse to checking them out live. Sometimes that makes all the diff.
ETA: I am listening to the Jam (Eton Rifles) right now, so that tells you where my head is.
Cassidy
@Omnes Omnibus: Lol….I think it’s funny any time Tim Armstrong sings or raps. He’s like the Bob Dylan of punk at this point. Not saying I don’t like him, just he gets more unintelligible as he gets older. Still built like a damn stud, though. The Transplants, otoh, that was beautiful.
amk
@efgoldman: Ironically it’s about being not able to reap what you have sown …. or not.
Karma is such a vengeful beeyotch.
Omnes Omnibus
@Cassidy: I can understand him, but he’s probably closer to my age.
RossInDetroit
I never cared about gift wrapping until I worked retail over three holiday seasons. When you’re on commission and the store’s full of people you learn clean, fast wrapping. To this day I see a John Hardy display and mentally calculate the paper and ribbon it would take to get it out the door.
Amir Khalid
@Amir Khalid:
Then I finally thought to look up “firkin” in Urban Dictionary and — oh, my.
Omnes Omnibus
@Amir Khalid: You were warned, yes?
suzanne
@Omnes Omnibus: I remember once, when I was married to my ex-husband, that I asked him to wrap my birthday gift to my friend, because I was going out with her than evening and was running late. I came back to see the thing sloppily wrapped in brown butcher paper with an entire roll of ribbon wrapped around it (it went around the box about 20 times in each direction), the ends tied in a knot, and cut so short that the ends stuck straight out. I asked him why he did that, and he said, as if it was plainly obvious, “Because I wanted it to be hard for her to get into it!”
I’m sorry you’re going through a hard time. I’m sending good thoughts your way.
Steeplejack
Night shift checking in. Got off work a little before 11:00, got home a little over an hour ago. Have a three-day weekend ahead of me, so I’m decompressing into not-working relaxation. Starting to catch up on the Balloon Juice threads, and I just got done adding some deep thoughts (and song links) to the “Tell Her No” thread. About to open a bottle of champagne and really submerge into night-owl mode.
Omnes Omnibus
@suzanne: I am okay. Really. I just haven’t to wrap a present for seven years. I actually did a decent job. Comparatively speaking. Okay, it didn’t totally suck. There, you forced it out of me. I hope you are happy now.
catclub
@bleh: “(just how likely was it that we would need highways in Nebraska to defeat the Commies?)”
Well, we needed them for the Army to get to General Jack D Ripper’s Air Force Base in Dr. Strangelove. Not quite defeating commies, but all part of the game.
magurakurin
@catclub:
“ya gotta hand it to them Commies, them trucks sure look real.”
Peace is Our Profession
The prophet Nostradumbass
@Omnes Omnibus: Is it moss-covered?
Awktalk
Does anyone else find it hilarious that Balko is praising the Norwiegen popo not carrying weapons while he advocates for open-carry laws in your kids’ pre-school? Remind me again why Libertarians are idiots?
So let me get this straight. Everyone should be able to pack a loaded 9mm in their jacket pocket… except the cops…. got it.
piratedan
@JCT: you coming in the Northern route or the Southern? If you’re hauling kids, and coming via the northern route I40 to Flagstaff and I17 to Phoenix, take the time to stop at the Meteor Crater and/or the Painted Desert/Petrified Forest. Two nifty things that most kids never get to see that aren’t nearly publicized enough.
catclub
@magurakurin: Gentlemen, gentlemen, no fighting in here, this is the war room.
Purity of Essence
MacKenna
Tunch is home alone
That would make a great movie.
THE
@John Cole:
China’s Expressway network is projected to pass the US Interstate Highway system in total length this year 2011.
China passed the European Union total in 2010. (Wikipedia)
THE
Sorry that first link didn’t work: China’s Expressway Network.
nancydarling
@hilts: I just gave the book to my brother for his 70th—haven’t got a review of it from him yet. I spent a good deal of my childhood on two-lane blacktops since Dad worked for an oil co. research crew and we lived everywhere from Mississippi to Montana. I can attest to the marvel of our interstate highways today. They also led to a quantum leap in the availability of decent motels. In the late 40’s early 50’s my dad always checked out the rooms before registering for the night—a lot of them were called tourist cabins and I can’t remember when motel became the common term. I can also remember his howls when he had to pay more than ten bucks a night.
And as further testimony to how I always learn stuff on BJ, I now know what a “merkin” is. I don’t know how this eluded me since the custom of wearing them has been around since 1450 according to Dictionary.com. The more things change, the more they stay the same
nancydarling
@Cassidy: Good on you, Cassidy. And thanks for deciding to hang around here.
Adding to the road comment. I drove with my folks from Texas to Nevada in the early 60’s and the interstate wasn’t finished yet. I remember Peach Springs, AZ as a thriving little community. I stopped there in the 90’s after a back packing trip into Supai, and it was barely hanging on—one of the casualties of the interstate.
brian gister
Did you bring your man-sized safe, or do you only stay where one’s already installed?
JR in WV
I had a shot and a beer. Then I had another, the first was so good!
Put down a 19.6 year old house cat just the other day, and cried like a 60 y o baby. He was in good health til the last couple of days.
Feeble, a little, and slept against me to stay warm on cool nights, even when there was a fire in the woodstove, which was even warmer, but less companionable.
He was a boon companion, good friend, first cat among a pride – now he’s just gone. So sad.
think I’ll have another cuppa tea.
Jebediah
@JR in WV:
Condolences on the loss of your cat. Even when it is totally obvious that you have no choice, it is still so tough to do the right thing. Again, so sorry for your loss.